Umbrella.



W. EDWARDS.

UMBRELLA.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE11,1909,

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WILLIAM EDWARDS, OF EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

UMBRELLA.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM EDWARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Easton, in the county of Northampton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Umbrellas; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and `exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in umbrellas and has for its object to provide for readily replacing broken ribs without removing the cover of the umbrella; also to provide for prolonging the usefulness of the umbrella by preventing the collapsing of the frame.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the appended description.

A The invention consists of certain features or instrumentalities, substantially as hereinafter fully disclosed and defined by the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this invention and illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of said invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the notch member. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section produced through Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detached plan View of the notch member. Fig. 5 is an inverted detail view of one of the adjunctive parts of the invention which is applied to the ribs and stretchers, a portion of one of the ribs being shown in connection therewith. Fig. 6 is a transverse section produced on the line 6-6, of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 indicates a rod or handle to which is applied, near its upper end, a notch consisting of a solid or thickened portion 4, suitably applied or secured to said rod or handle, and a cap 17 fitting upon said solid portion t and suitably held or fixed thereto by a screw 15 passing through said cap and engaging said solid portion. A runner la is also applied to or receives the staffl or handle 1, said runner having an extended sleeve portion 4b, also receiving said handle or rod, said sleeve extension having slidably arranged thereon, an additional sleeve 2 adapted for engagement with a latch 8 suitably seated in the rod or handle 1 for the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 11, 1909.

Patented May 24, 1910. Serial No. 501,816.

retention ofthe runner in an elevated position upon said rod or handle 1, as when the umbrella is in open position.

Ribs 9 and stretchers 8, pivoted to said ribs in the usual way at 10, are employed in connection with said notch and said runner, the connection between which ribs and stretchers and said notch and runner being effected as will be next described. The ribs 9 are each provided with a sleeve 11 the inner end of said sleeves being' provided with a ball or spherical terminal 7 the notch being provided with a circular arrangement of sockets 6 receiving the ball or spherical termina-ls 7, said sockets communicating with slots 5 formed in the notch, said slots receiving rectangular-like extensions of the sleeves 11 when the umbrella is in a folded position, as is apparent from Fig. 2. The cap member 17 has in its lower edge also a circular arrangement of slots 18 which are adapted to register with the slots 5 of the member et and are also adapted to receive the rectangular portions of the sleeves 11. Said cap is adapted to retain the ball or spherical terminal 7 of the sleeve members 11 in effective position in the sockets of the notch, said cap being movable, after the release of the screw 15, when it may be desired to detach any of the ribs from the notch.

Alsoapplied to the ribs 9 at their outer ends is a like sleeve 11et provided with like balls or spherical terminals, said sleeves also having loops 16a, the sleeve members 11 also having their rectangular portions provided with apertures 16, said apertures and loops being designed to receive the fastening means or threads for securing or fastening the cover upon the ribs. From this arrangement it will be noted that in event of breaking or damaging any one of the ribs, the same may be removed readily without detaching the cover, and accordingly be replaced by a substitute rib or ribs, the impaired rib being readily removable from the sleeve portions and the new or effective rib inserted into said sleeves. Also it is noted that a damaged or broken rib which may be capable of further use may be filed off at one end and be further used by the employment of the sleeve members, by suitably adjusting said sleeve members with relation to said rib for the proper retention and stretching of the cover in place thereon, as is readily apparent. The ribs 9 are approximately U shaped in cross section as seen in Fig. 6, as is also the sleeve members, the inner edges of said sleeve members being upturned within the said ribs for their retention as at 12 and whereby said sleeves may be readily removed and replaced as occasion may require, or the ribs removed from said sleeves. The runner member 4a is also provided with a circular arrangement of sockets, slots and cap member 17a, similar to those described in connection with the notch member for the reception and retention in connection with said runner of the inner spherical terminated ends 7FL of the stretchers 8, as seen in Fig. l, and whereby said stretchers may be readily disconnected from said runners.

Vhat I claim is 1..A device of the character described comprising a notch having a circular arrangement ofy sockets therein, and a corresponding arrangement of slots therein in communication with said socket, a cap member applied to said notch having a circular arrange-ment of slots in its lower edge adapted to register with the aforesaid slots, means for the retention of said cap upon said notch, ribs, sleeve members having spher vical terminals received by said sockets and rectangular portions adjacent to said terminals received by the slots of said notch and cap, said sleeve members receiving said ribs at their inner ends, additional sleeves applied to said ribs at their outer' ends, and means on both sleeve members for the reception of the attaching means for a cover.

2. A device of the character described comprising a handle, a notch applied to said handle and having a socket and a slot communicating with said socket, a cap applied to said notch and having a slot in its lower edge registering with the slot of said notch, means for the retention of said cap upon said notch, a ruimer applied to said handle, said runner having a like socketl and slot therein, a cap applied t0 said runner also having a slot in its lower edge registering with the slot of said runner, a sleeve member having a spherical terminal received by the socket of said notch, said sleeve member having a rectangular portion adjacent to this spherical terminal, received by the slot of said notch, a rib received by said sleeve member, a stretcher connected to said rib at one end and having its opposite end provided with a spherical terminal received by the socket of said runner, said stretcher also engaging the slot of said runner, an additional sleeve member applied to said rib, a coverl and means on said sleeve members for the retention of said cover.

3., In a device of the character described,

the combination with a stal, a notch mounted on said staff having sockets and slots therein, and a cap for said notch; of ribs, a sleeve mounted on eachy end of said ribs, said sleeves having spherical terminals on the ends thereof, the spherical terminals of the inner sleeves engaging the sockets of said notch, said cap having slots therein registering with said other slots, means to retain said cap member on said notch, a cover and means on both sets of sleeves for attaching said cover thereto.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

VILLIAM EDWARDS.

itnesses: Y

JOHN F. EcKERsLEY, GEORGE H.. SHUFFLEBOTHAM. 

